As she spoke, Nicholas flipped through a stack of papers in front of him. “She’s right. That’s the number Cynthia and her team calculated and what CPH sent to the IRS on our behalf. But that’snotthe number that CPH gaveus.”
“I was fired because the Red Sox discovered a discrepancy during an independent audit ordered by Major League Baseball. I had partial copies of their returns on my laptop, and I compared them to the altered returns the Red Sox got from CPH. They don’tmatch.”
Ben cleared his throat. “Elizabeth, I need you to be very clear. You’re accusing Carter, Pastack, and Hayes of embezzlement and tax fraud.Correct?”
Somber faces around the table waited for her tospeak.
No turning backnow.
With a glance at Alexander, who nodded encouragingly, Elizabeth forced herself to take a deep breath. “Yes. I suppose Iam.”
With copies of her paperwork strewn across the table, Elizabeth summarized everything that had happened since she’d been fired. “My lawyer said if I went through with this, I might never work as an accountantagain.”
Ben snorted as he flipped through the papers. “If you tried to fight this alone, perhaps. Not now. These documents are designed to intimidate you. You’re protected once the lawsuit is filed. You do, however, need to tread carefully until then. CPH doesn’t suspect that you ever saw the original Fairhaven returns,correct?”
“They’d have no reason to. It wasn’t my account. There were fifty of us. We each had our own clients. Nooverlap.”
With a nod, Ben stacked the papers neatly. “All right. You’ve already been seen with Alexander, so we can’t do anything about that. I’d like to arrange for some press that focuses on your personal relationship, not business. Make it clear to CPH and the public that you’re not associating with the Fairhaven brothers for business purposes. It’ll make it easier when the lawsuit’s filed. A kiss or two or ten wouldn’t be a bad idea. Can you dothat?”
Elizabeth’s stomach flipped, and Alexander smiled. “Elizabeth is accompanying me to the Fire and Ice Ball tomorrow. We can stop and talk to a reporter or two on the way in. Being affectionate with her won’t be a problem.” He slid his hand up her thigh, and she tried not to shift in herseat.
“Good. Have you contacted any of your other clients?” Benasked.
“Just the Red Sox,” she replied. “Andtheycalledme.CPH filed the lawsuit after they first saw me with Alexander. Since he wasn’t my client, they probably assumed I was doing…well…what I’m doing now. They called several times when Alexander was in London, and someone came to my apartment a few days before we had breakfasttogether.”
“I don’t want them around her,” Alexander said roughly. “Atall.”
Ben shook his head. “Neither do I, but there’s nothing illegal about it. Still, if anyone comes to your door again, Elizabeth, do not answer and call me immediately.” Ben slid a business card across the table, and she tucked it into her purse. “I will take care of all of your representation from here on out. If we’re lucky, the federal prosecutor will be able to see us first thing Monday morning. We’ll have the weekend to get all of our ducks in a rowfirst.”
Nicholas cleared his throat. “And what do we do about Fairhaven Exports? We’ll need to hire a new accounting firm very soon, and Hayes is going to find out. He knows everyone in thistown.”
Paul, who had spent the entire meeting so far taking notes his laptop, looked up. “You do exactly what you have been doing. I want to meet with the team that you’re having re-run the numbers. They’ll sign confidentiality agreements. Once Miss Bennett finishes with the prosecutor, we can file our own suit.” He leveled a stern gaze at Elizabeth and Alexander. “It might be a good idea if Elizabeth was tucked away somewhere the press and CPH’s lawyers can’t get to her after she’s given her deposition. A little vacation out of town or even a few nights in a hotel under an assumed name would force them to deal with Hetherington. Whistleblower laws protect her, ultimately, but that won’t stop CPH from doing theirworst.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Alexander said. “A trip up the coast can easily be arranged. I won’t let anyone get toher.”
Elizabeth gaped at him. “I…I don’tthink—”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Elizabeth. It isn’t as if I’m planning a trip to London for you to meet my mother.” Alexander’s grin flashed, hungry and almost predatory. “Yet.”
Her breath hitched, but she was saved from further embarrassment by Nicholas rising. “I have to get back to the office.” Nicholas extended his hand. “It was lovely to meet you, Elizabeth, despite the circumstances. I’ve never seen Alex quite so unsure of himself. It’s very entertaining. I’ll see you tomorrow at theball.”
The next ten minutes passed in a flurry of papers to sign and a dizzying number of legal terms Elizabeth had only heard in passing—onLaw and Order.By the time the lawyers were done, Elizabeth’s head pounded, and her stomach twisted intoknots.
Why did my life have to turn socomplicated?
Before she’d been fired, other than the occasional dinner with Toni and Kelsey, Elizabeth rarely socialized and never dated. Endless stretches of solitude broken up only by her daily runs and long hours of work made up her life. Now, she was dating a billionaire, about to accuse a very powerful and influential company of tax fraud, and oddest of all, almosthappy.
“Elizabeth?” She leaned in to the warm hand on her shoulder, unsure how long she’d been absorbed in her own musings. “What’swrong?”
“Everything I’ve worked for…five years of sitting at that desk, doing my job, is about to go down the drain. But then…there’s you. I don’t know why you’re bothering with me. All I’m going to do is make trouble for you. I figured you’d drop me as soon as I told you what was going on. But instead you came to get me, and I don’t understandwhy.”
“Because I find you irresistible,” Alexander said, sliding into the booth next to her and cupping her cheeks. “Your strength, your intelligence, the spark in your eyes, your smile, your laugh…” He leaned in and claimed her mouth until all she wanted was to lose herself in him. When he pulled away, his eyes darkened, threads of copper shining through his somber gaze. “I understand why you didn’t tell me. Why you didn’t feel like you could. But can we agree that for however how long this lasts, we won’t keep secrets from oneanother?”
Elizabeth linked their fingers. “No moresecrets.”
